Companies that tap into this, and four other emerging trends, can win big around the world, Watson wrote.

For instance, "institutions that showcase their cross-border banking services, or highlight educational content (such as a helpful 'how to' on building a positive credit history) earn trust and transactions," Watson wrote. "We've seen this content resonate with users. After one bank presented this kind of tailored content, sessions to those website sections accounted for up to 50% of site traffic."

Other emerging trends for expanding financial companies to watch and leverage include: